Iranian Christians Facing Execution, Network Reports

MASHHAD/JERUSALEM (Worthy News)-- Three Christians are being threatened with the death penalty if they do not renounce their Christian faith and revert back to Islam, a well-informed Christian network reported Monday, September 13.

Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN), which has close ties with Christians in Iran, said the three Iranian Christians, residents of the city of Mashhad, were charged with apostasy and have been jailed since July 28 this year ...
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"FCNN quoted unidentified sources as saying that the families of the Christians were informed that 'after more than 50 days of re-conversion efforts back to Islam through means of torture and solitary confinement' they remained unwilling to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ.

"Iranian government officials reportedly demand that the families, during court-approved visitations, must persuade their loved ones to renounce their Christian faith and embrace Islam once again.

"The families were informed if their loved ones refuse to cooperate with the government, charges of apostasy will be upheld, and they will be tried on these charges in an upcoming court session ..."

FCNN quoted unidentified sources as saying that the families of the Christians were informed that "after more than 50 days of re-conversion efforts back to Islam through means of torture and solitary confinement" they remained unwilling to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ.

Iranian government officials reportedly demand that the families, during court-approved visitations, must persuade their loved ones to renounce their Christian faith and embrace Islam once again.

The families were informed if their loved ones refuse to cooperate with the government, charges of apostasy will be upheld, and they will be tried on these charges in an upcoming court session, FCNN said.

Iranian officials have not commented, however under Iran's strict Islamic law, the charge of "apostasy", or converting from Islam to another religion, is death by hanging if found guilty by the Islamic court. In 1990, Reverend Soodmand was executed by the same district court.

In a recent ranking of countries in which Christians are most persecuted, Iran ranked second only to North Korea, according to advocacy group Open Doors.

"FCNN quoted unidentified sources as saying that the families of the Christians were informed that "after more than 50 days of re-conversion efforts back to Islam through means of torture and solitary confinement" they remained unwilling to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ.

"Iranian government officials reportedly demand that the families, during court-approved visitations, must persuade their loved ones to renounce their Christian faith and embrace Islam once again.

"The families were informed if their loved ones refuse to cooperate with the government, charges of apostasy will be upheld, and they will be tried on these charges in an upcoming court session ..."

"We should all know that this incident has nothing to do with Christianity and the Church; we should not regard the puppet-like acts of a few foolish and mercenary priests as those of Christians and church men. We Muslims will never commit similar acts against what is held sacred in other religions.

Conflict between Muslims and Christians, on a popular scale, is what our enemies and the stagers of this insane show are after. What the Quran teaches us is diametrically opposed to this."

Both Jews and Christians are protected under Islam and are well respected in the Iranian community.

NGO's such as open doors have very little understanding of the situation in Iran.

Iran has several Democratically elected christian representatives.Robert Beglarian MP for Iran's Armenian Christian minority said Saturday that he has had a warm response for his proposal to have a day in the Iranian calendar to calibrate Divine Religions and the Divine Books.

He said Islam respects all revealed religions and followers of such religions, including Christians and Jews, have always led a peaceful and tranquil life under the shadow of Islam as People of the Book.

Beglarian said respect for religious beliefs of citizens of any country, of clans and of groups is a priority guaranteed by the human rights charter and Iran's Christian community hence condemns the calls of the wayward US pastor.

Jewish member of Iran's Parliament Siamak Moreh Sedq describes the desecration of the holy Quran in the US as an "insane act without rational justification."

The Jewish lawmaker said that such sacrilegious insults against religions would only serve the interests of "Zionism," saying, "God believers should prove that [such actions] will only consolidate their will to counter Zionism and arrogant powers."

"What has been proven to everyone is that such a heinous act has been orchestrated by the most brainless followers of imperialism and Zionism," Moreh Sedq told Mehr news agency on Monday.

Five other minority members in the Iranian parliament also denounced the catastrophe in a statement.

" We Muslims will never commit similar acts against what is held sacred in other religions. "sounds similiar to erdogan's statement that muslims never commit genocide.in an effort to convince the non-muslim , you lot really go to extremes,don't you ?

Armenians hold that Qara Kelisa is the world's first church and was constructed in 68 CE by one of the apostles of Jesus, Saint Thaddeus, who traveled to Armenia, then part of the Persian Empire, to preach the teachings of Christ. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/139200.html

" We Muslims will never commit similar acts against what is held sacred in other religions. "sounds similiar to erdogan's statement that muslims never commit genocide.in an effort to convince the non-muslim , you lot really go to extremes,don't you ?

<quoted text>Were talking of something that happened 100 years ago, if you want to perpetuate hate instead of building friendship and development that is up to you, it is NOT the Iranian way.As for the link provided it is comprehensive and well worth more than a glance.There is always two sides to a story to ignore one is an injustice to yourself.It is the Zionist way to divide and concur the majority of Armenian brothers are aware of this and resistant to it.Anyway this is not the topic at hand which is religious freedom in Iran.

perpetuating hate ? me ?i have iranian friends and they agree with me about almost everything !

<quoted text>Were talking of something that happened 100 years ago, if you want to perpetuate hate instead of building friendship and development that is up to you, it is NOT the Iranian way.As for the link provided it is comprehensive and well worth more than a glance.There is always two sides to a story to ignore one is an injustice to yourself.It is the Zionist way to divide and concur the majority of Armenian brothers are aware of this and resistant to it.Anyway this is not the topic at hand which is religious freedom in Iran.

"There is always two sides to a story to ignore one is an injustice to yourself"?You dream of a world where everything is either black or white.

Yes they are minority christians in Iran who are not converts they were just born christian, but if you are muslim and you convert to christianity and goverment finds out , you should consider yourself dead.

and if you really want to know more about religious persecution in Iran you can go and read up on the crimes Islamic Republic has committed aganist the people of Bahai faith.

This guy pjam2825 (the defender of islamic iran) is a goverment shill resident here , he is not even hiding it , click and go check out his profile.

He is here to try with lying and goverment propaganda protect his leaders image , which is very sad to see someone sell their soul to the devil.

All Iranians who live in Iran know the truth what is happening there and are feeling the pain of having these religious moronas rule over us, and it makes us angry , we can't do anything cause pjam2825 and his friends have all the guns and killing machines , as well as wide variety of torture devices which includes their penises.

and for your information, Iran goverment offically has burnt lots of bibles.

The site that you have given has no evidence and is pure fiction it does not have any links photo's or any evidence to show that these claims are true.

If indeed these events did take place and the Pasdaran site contained them then why not provide link or better still take photo of original web page.

It is clear that sick individuals want to drum up a religious war, many are willing to jump on the band wagon of these lies and propaganda.

It is well understood that the bible is true and correct in Iran, it is not the content that needs to be changed as the christian right of the West have been more than successful in changing the meaning of the words contained within.

It is clear to all that have taken the time to study the bible that Christianity is a left oriantated peoples movement and Jesus himself a socialist providing free health care and food to the poor, it is the corruption of the biblical teachings that Iran seeks to stop. The protection of information by Iran has a very long history, It was the people of what is now Iran that protected the great Greek philosopher and other great masters writings through the dark age of Europe and they continue to protect the christian and Jewish heritage through this dark time in both faiths.

It is important that these faiths are protected and that corruption of there teachings is not aloud to take root.

To this end those that corrupt the teachings of the great prophet Jesus are not given a voice in Iran.

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